Democrat Michelle Nunn has a slight 47 % -44 % edge over Republican David Perdue in the Georgia race for an open Senate seat , according to a new CNN/ORC International survey released Friday .

The three-point margin falls within the poll 's sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points , meaning the two candidates are statistically tied less than two weeks before Election Day .

If neither candidate garners 50 % of the vote , the race heads to a January runoff .

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Democrats are throwing a lot of money in Georgia , as the party hopes to thwart what 's widely expected to be a strong year for Senate Republicans and their quest to take control of the Senate . The GOP needs to win a net six seats to win the majority .

Libertarian candidate Amanda Swafford is pulling 5 % of the vote in Georgia , keeping Nunn and Perdue from reaching the 50 % threshold .

Poll : Georgia Senate race statistically tied

A Libertarian candidate is also peeling off votes in Georgia 's contested gubernatorial race between Republican incumbent Gov. Nathan Deal and Democratic challenger , Jason Carter , the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter .

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The CNN/ORC poll , conducted by telephone October 19-22 with 565 likely voters , indicates Carter has a 48 % -46 % advantage over Deal , while Libertarian candidate Andrew Hunt gets 6 % support .

In the Senate race , CNN Director Keating Holland said Nunn 's ability to make the race competitive in a reliably red state -- no Democrat has won a statewide election in more than a decade -- is a surprising show of strength .

`` The Georgia electorate appears to be the most pro-Obama group of likely voters in the 11 states CNN has surveyed this fall , '' Holland said . `` That 's not saying much -- Obama 's approval rating among Georgia likely voters is only 44 % . But that 's still better than the high-30s he gets in states like Iowa and new Hampshire , not to mention the low 30s in Kansas and Alaska . ''

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Nunn has a particular advantage over Perdue among likely women voters , 56 % -38 % , and among likely voters who live in the all-important suburbs that dominate much of the state 's political scene , Holland added .

In a hypothetical runoff , Nunn still holds a small margin over Perdue , 51 % to 47 % . But the poll 's likely voter model can only estimate the November electorate , as a runoff election can draw a smaller and different crowd than the general election .

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Democrat Michelle Nunn has a small 47 % -44 % edge over Republican David Perdue .

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That 's according to a new CNN/ORC International survey

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If Nunn wins , she 'd be the first Democrat elected statewide in more than a decade

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The gubernatorial race between Gov. Nathan Deal and Democrat Jason Carter is also close